Just One Blanket
by Draikitha
Summary: It's a very cold night, and Kenshin & Kaoru are stranded together in a small log cabin. There's only one blanket between them. What waffiness will result from this? Major K&K. One Shot. Read and Reveiw!


(A/N- This fic came about from a challenge... I forgot who it was made by. Anyway, the challenge was to have two or more of the RK characters stranded in a snowstorm, with only one blanket between them. This idea was supposed to be that anyone left without a blanket would die. Isn't that a plot BEGGING for fluff fics? I thought so too. Enjoy.)  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaoru, Kenshin, and his master, Hiko, were all three in a rather unusual situation. Hiko had convinced Kenshin to follow him back out into the mountains for more training. After hearing how long it took Kenshin to defeat Shishio, Hiko was positive that he needed it. Kaoru had refused to let Kenshin travel with Hiko alone again, so she had gone hiking with them as well.  
  
Kenshin and Hiko were locked in an intense one-on-one battle, when the blizzard suddenly picked up. It had come too quickly for them to foresee, and Hiko had told them that it would be impossible to walk back to his log cabin in this storm and make it back alive. Their only hope was to find a shelter soon.  
  
Which, luckily enough, they did.  
  
Kenshin opened the door of the little wooden cabin he'd found. He stepped inside and looked around. It was no warmer in here then it was outside, but at least it was dry. It was only a one-roomed cabin, and it was almost entirely empty. The only thing in it was a wool blanket crumpled in the corner.   
  
Kaoru and Hiko followed Kenshin into the cabin. They both looked around just as he'd done. Hiko smirked.   
  
"How cozy," he said, sarcastically.  
  
He walked over to the driest corner, shook the snow of his cape, wrapped himself in it and sat back against the wall.  
  
Kenshin glared at his master, like always, Hiko was only thinking of himself.   
  
But Kenshin instantly forgot about his master when he felt Kaoru shiver beside him.   
  
"Kaoru-dono, are you alright?"  
  
Kaoru smiled weakly. "Yes, I'm fine. Please don't worry about me."  
  
Kenshin's eyes widened as he noticed how pale her face had gotten.  
  
"No! You look like your going to be sick…"  
  
He hurried over to the corner and smoothed out the blanket. He rubbed it over a few times to warm it up for her. He walked back over to her, still warming it up.  
  
"Please, Kaoru-dono, sit down. If you don't get your body temperature back up, you might get really ill."  
  
Kaoru did as she was told. Kenshin wrapped the blanket tightly around her, but she still shivered. He noticed this and his concern increased. He took off his gi and began warming it up as he had the blanket. When he was done, he wrapped it around her as well. Slowly, she got over her shivers and looked up at him. She just then noticed Kenshin's un-covered chest… so well toned… and his muscular arms… it was enough to make her feel faint with delight. She stared at his handsome frame knelt beside her… soft violet eyes gazing at her with worry.  
  
"Ken… shin…." She whispered softly. Then she seemed to realize something. "Kenshin! You're going to freeze!"  
  
Kenshin let out a sigh of relief. "It seems that you're alright, Kaoru-dono. I'm very glad."  
  
Kaoru groaned. Did her sweet rurouni ever think of himself? "Yes, Kenshin. I'm all right now. Arigatou. But you'll get sick if you stay like that through the night. Please… come over here and share the blanket with me. It's plenty big."  
  
Kenshin's face turned a little pink, but he nodded. "If you insist, Kaoru-dono. And… as long as it's alright with you."  
  
Kaoru nodded as well, a little surprised that she'd worked up the nerve to ask Kenshin that.  
  
Kenshin slipped down beside her. She lifted some of the blanket off herself and wrapped it around Kenshin. As she did this, her arm brushed against his chest, and she felt just how cold he had gotten in those few minutes.   
  
'He'd really freeze to death just to keep me warm,' she thought to herself. She let her gaze drop to the floor. 'Kenshin……'  
  
Kaoru eventually looked back up at him and was surprised to see him gazing at her. She did her best to control all the emotions that had stirred inside her from that simple look, and kept them from showing on her face. But she had to express her joy at being so close to him somehow… It ended up in a shiver.  
  
Kenshin saw it and instinctively wrapped his arms around her.   
  
Kaoru was about to protest that she wasn't cold, but stopped herself when she felt his strong, now warmed arms holding her, protecting her from the cold like something sacredly precious to him. She relaxed in his arms and looked back up into his eyes. His gentle, reassuring violet eyes.   
  
But, Kaoru could see the tension hidden in those stunning purple depths… like he was shocked about what he'd done, but afraid to take it back…… always wondering what her reaction would be. She smiled again. How could she not love such a sweet man?  
  
"Arigatou, Kenshin."  
  
Kenshin easily relaxed at her words.   
  
Kaoru noticed this and nestled her head in his chest. She let in a deep breath, enjoying everything about the aroma surrounding her. Even though Kenshin had just been training with Hiko, he smelled nothing like sweat or dirt his master was covered with. He smelled like clean laundry hanging in the sunlight… like the soft sweet bread he liked to prepare for her on breezy autumn days… like the beautiful wild flowers Ayame and Suzume picked for him and her in the Spring… and there was another smell mixed in with the rest. She couldn't even start to put it into words, but it was the most comfortingly sweet smell of them all, and it only belonged to him.  
  
Kenshin watched Kaoru leaning against him, his mind completely fixed on her. His soft violet eyes, shone with the love he felt for her. He decided that he would tell her…  
  
"Kaoru…"  
  
Kaoru was shocked to hear Kenshin say her name without the honorific, "dono", at the end. He had never done it before. She looked up at him, her deep blue pools meeting his glistening violet. He gave her a soothing smile. Her heart melted at the site. Her brain screamed for her to do something… anything… before they let the moment slip away. It was then that he kissed her.  
  
It was Kaoru's first kiss. She didn't know exactly what she was supposed to do, but she seemed to catch on quickly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss. They both let out soft, simultaneous sighs of pleasure. Kaoru started giggling at this, and they pulled away from each other momentarily. Kaoru stifled her giggles and looked up at Kenshin apologetically.   
  
"I'm sorry, Kenshin. I'm just so happ-"  
  
Kenshin softly put two fingers over her lips, cutting her off.  
  
"Kaoru…" he felt her smile again at hearing her name. "I… I love you, Kaoru."  
  
If Kaoru had been happy to hear him say something so simple as her name, she was overjoyed to hear him say those words.  
  
"K-Kenshin… do you mean it?"  
  
He nodded. Never taking his eyes off her. Anxious for her response.  
  
Kaoru's deep blue eyes seemed to dance with joy.  
  
"Oh, Kenshin! I love you too! I've loved you since the day I met you."  
  
He smiled, suddenly at a loss for words.  
  
Hiko still sat in the corner of the cabin, watching them both with a huge smirk on his face. Eventually he rolled himself over and drifted off to slumber, trusting that his baka deshi would have a good night's sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N- So... did you like it?  
  
Heh... this fic was actually written by my sister, Fireruby. She didn't want to post it on fanfic.net, so I begged her for a while, and she let me put it up under my name. So... if you don't like it, complain to HER, alright?  
  
Well, anyway, she put in Hiko as the third character because she's in love with him. Don't ask me what she sees. Just thought I'd explain Hiko's minor character-ness.  
  
REVEIW, please!) 


End file.
